Looking Ahead

Looking Ahead

SPECIAL SECTION: BIKES AT THE BRICKYARD

Nicky Hayden comes clean

KEVIN CAMERON

AMERICAN NICKY HAYDEN, after becoming MotoGP world champion on a Honda in 2006, is now riding much too hard for the downfield finishes he’s getting. Honda’s current performance tribulations underline the fact that, in this game, there are no masters, only students. Early Honda pneumaticvalve prototype engines looked promising in pre-season testing, but then proved unreliable, forcing factory riders Hayden and teammate Dani Pedrosa to use 2007 engines.

Despite his easy charm, Hayden is careful with his speech, saying of his season so far, “It’s definitely not clicking right now.”

I asked him if the “Capirossi Effect” were handicapping him. GP veteran Loris Capirossi was fast on the Ducati 800 last year until the software for finishing races on only 21 liters of fuel was installed. Then he could no longer use the throttle his way.

“Not with me,” Hayden replied. “You lean it out in practice until you think it’ll finish the race. It’s no accident they only run out of gas on the cool-off lap. They know what they’re doing.”

Many people want to know if this bike is built more to suit Pedrosa than the larger Hayden.

Does it suit Hayden’s style? Or, as with Colin Edwards and the factory Yamaha YZR-M1 in previous years, is it not really “his” bike?

“When there were problems with the pneumatic engine and we had to go back to last year’s engine, we lost some feeling,” Hayden said. “I don’t wanna cry, but.. .We’re searching to get it to be my bike. I believe in the people

around me.

“Right now, it’s like having a dancing partner: When everything’s right, you know her moves ahead of time,” he explained. “But with this bike, I find myself waiting on it. It’s never going to be perfect, but with some bikes, just sitting on them you know they’ll do what you want.”

I asked about the claim that some riders are seen to just snap their throttles open mid-corner and let the traction-control system handle it.

“That’s not even an option— unless you’ve got wings or an airbag,” he replied. “The electronics will get you out of a lot of trouble, but you can’t just open it up unless you want to fly.”

What about the less-publicized part of his job-all the “test-pilot work” of evaluating new parts and perfecting setup adjustments? How does he get through all that?

“You don’t,” he answered.

“You just make yourself a Christmas list of the things that you really need fixed-stuff that’s holding you back-and you get to work on it until all the time’s gone. You pick what’s going to help you the most. By far, tires are what make the differencetires are for the dough! You’ve got to think about the race. You put in a stiffer tire construction; it may not be faster for one lap, but it may be faster for 28 laps. You don’t put in a new rear suspension link from HRC and just have it work. You’ve got to find the right spring rate, the right rebound. It’s all a compromise.”

So, I asked, what’s on your Christmas list right now?

“If I were to climb up on Santa’s lap and promise to be a good boy all year, I’d ask him for more engine,” Hayden responded. “I need that for my size, my style. Also, turning. I can’t get the bike to turn-braking and entering. I can’t feel the bumps. It’s like the bottom of the fork has gone flat.”

I asked about the game all racers play, running laps in their heads.

“It’s crazy,” he admitted. “I’ve won a lot of races sleeping on airplanes. You never know when something is going to come to you. You might be having dinner with some hot chick, and something will pop into your head, and you’ll have to call your crew chief right then.

“My contract is up at the end of 2008, so I got to make something happen,” Hayden continued. “I live for the moment-it’s year-to-year. I’ve got the best job in the world, and I’m not getting tired of it. I love the sport more and more as time goes by. I sit at home and can’t wait to get in front of all those people at the next race.”